Bezos’ Blue Origin, Others Get $2.3 Billion in US Rocket Contracts

12/10/2018

The US Air Force yesterday said that it had awarded a total US$2.3 billion (RM9.55 billion) in contracts to develop rocket launch systems for national security missions.

The United States Air Force stated that it's investing more into space launches to maintain the country's existing advantage in space development. Through public-private partnership agreements, the goal of the acquisition strategy is to satisfy federal law by ensuring that the USA maintains assured access to space, with at least two domestic launch service providers and without reliance on non-allied rocket propulsion systems.

United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, won a $967 million contract to develop its Vulcan Centaur rocket, a powerful launcher that will replace the company's venerable Delta 4 and Atlas 5 boosters. Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems formerly Orbital ATK - will build the OmegA launch system, and ULA is slated to build its Vulcan Centaur launch system, both with initial launch capability by 2021.

The funding is for the development of competing launch system prototypes geared toward launching national security payloads. In a surprise to some observers, SpaceX, the ambitious rocket company founded by Elon Musk, was not among the latest winners in the Pentagon's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.

Blue Origin said in a statement following yesterday's announcement that it will build a launch site at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, although it did not say what rockets would launch from the site. "I'm excited to announce these creative partnerships that directly support the Air Force's strategy to drive innovation and leverage commercial industry". SMC is the U.S. Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Bezos tweeted a thank-you message Wednesday to the Air Force for its "confidence in the Blue Origin team". Up until now, many DOD payloads have been sent to the orbit using the United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket, which is powered by Russian RD-180 engines. The rocket has been under development since 2014, and ULA expects the first launch of the new rocket to occur no earlier than mid-2020. The New Glenn is a reusable orbital vehicle created to land back on Earth after launch.

Related News:

That meant that not only had she committed adultery, but it had happened five years ago and had remained a secret ever since. A man in Lima, Peru, caught his wife cheating with another man, thanks to a photo of them together posted on Google Maps.

They will appear in an animated form on the home screen, activity feed posts, profiles, and a bunch of other places. As we've noted before , the new Xbox Avatars are far more customizable and expressive than the 360 versions.

Power cuts could also result and other services - including mobile phone and broadband network coverage - could be impacted. In Galway city, coastal routes along the harbour are closed as a precaution ahead of high tide at around 7.45am.

The new rules mean it's illegal to spread religious fanaticism by, for example, having "abnormal beards or unusual names". Those sent to vocational educational and employment training centres were criminals convicted of minor offences, it said.

There is a Downtime feature as well that will help you create a schedule that will block the device between certain hours. There wasn't a demonstration of the function, however it should be accessed by using Google Assistant to initiate a call.

September marked the second straight record Chinese monthly trade surplus with the United States after August's $31 billion. Exports to the United States rose to $46.7 billion, down from August's 13.4 percent growth, customs data showed Friday.

And Panic! at the Disco paid tribute to Queen with a rendition of " Bohemian Rhapsody " performed live from Brisbane, Australia. The wins brought her lifetime total so far to 22, surpassing the previous record of 21 held by the late Whitney Houston .

You can listen to Michael Shannon's reading of Leonard Cohen's poem " Kanye West Is Not Picasso " in the Soundcloud player above. The poem contains a couple of expletives, and also mentions rapper Jay-Z.

The rapper also shot down the idea that all black people should support the Democrats. "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder". West himself has suggested he might be open to wading into politics, including a run for president in 2020.

Most liked

After Michael's rampage on Florida Panhandle: 'Nothing Left'
Rescuers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) used dogs, drones and Global Positioning System in the search. Two of the light poles were knocked down by the winds. "Thank God we're not seeing that as a critical need", Harris said.

China defies Trump tariffs, trade surplus soars
President Trump added he could do a lot more if he wanted to, but said he would prefer Beijing come to the negotiating table. In fact, the September surplus with the USA was larger than China's overall trade surplus of $31.69 billion for the month.

Comcast faces continued doubts over wisdom of Sky purchase
Comcast won against Fox in a September auction for Sky , with an offer of about $22.58 per share, or almost $39 billion. With the acquisition of Sky , Comcast captures the broadcaster's live rights for English Premier League football.

Hurricane Michael: Aerial visuals show devastation in Florida
It doesn't include losses covered by the National Flood Insurance Program. "Hurricane Michael can not break Florida", Scott vowed. Nearly 1.1m homes and businesses were without power from Florida to Virginia early on Friday, according to utility companies.

Hearing set for American student detained by Israel
Alqasem reportedly appeared calm during her appearance in Tel Aviv District Court to fight her deportation back to the U.S. Israel enacted a law past year banning entry for any foreigner who "knowingly issues a public call for boycotting Israel".

Usain Bolt scores first goals for Central Coast Mariners
Witnessed by more than 6,000 people at the stadium, Bolt broke into his trademark celebration move after the first goal. His first came by scoring 10 minutes into the second half with a left-footed finish after shaking off a defender.

10 things to know about Aussies and mental health
According to the Guardian op-ed, despite some improvements in communities around the world, there's still a long way to go. The Commission called for a human rights approach to dealing with mental health conditions.

Essential’s next phone could use AI to manage your life
Essential may be working on a handset that doesn't follow the expected flagship expectations, as far as design goes. It has even shelved plans to make a different handset and a smart speaker earlier this year for this, as reported.